After seven months of wandering the desert, we got a thimble of water with last week’s college football offering. Now, we’ve arrived at the oasis and are ready to quench our thirst. The NCAA football schedule makers blessed us with an 11-game slate to kick off Week 1 on Thursday night.
As usual, we’re breaking down our favorite plays from our projections, highlighting the top players available on tonight’s main slate.
College football is back at FantasyLabs. Inside our Player Models, you’ll be able to utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups for your DFS contests.
Or if cash games are more your speed, you can build your lineups alongside our projections with our Lineup Builder. From there, you can hand-build your lineup or lock in a few guys and let the builder optimize the rest based on our projections.
Here’s a brief snippet of what our models look like:
Let’s dive into this week’s slate!
CFB DFS Quarterback Picks
John Rhys Plumlee (UCF Knights): $10,600 DraftKings
The UCF Knights’ inaugural campaign in the Big 12 starts with a non-conference matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes. UCF enters the night as the steepest favorite on the board, installed as -35.5 chalk. That standing is well-deserved after they finished last season as one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, returning several key starters on both sides of the ball.
Among those is standout pivot John Rhys Plumlee. The dual-threat quarterback had an outstanding 2022-23 season, throwing for over 2,500 yards and rushing for nearly 900 more. Plumlee will pick up exactly where he left off against a Golden Flashes defense that ranked 122nd in total yards allowed last season, giving up an average of 444.6 against FBS opponents.
Plumlee’s fantasy value is plainly illustrated in our projections. The senior quarterback leads our median and ceiling projections and will be a fundamental piece of any winning roster. He completed 69.8% of his passes last year, and with three of his top four receivers back with him this year, we could see the Knights achieve new heights in 2023-24.
Mitch Griffis (Wake Forest Demon Deacons): $8,300 DraftKings
The Mitch Griffis era starts in Winston-Salem on Thursday night, as his Wake Forest Demon Deacons invite the Elon Phoenix to town for one of the biggest mismatches of the night. Griffis takes over for Sam Hartman, who departed for Notre Dame in the offseason. Nevertheless, the new signal-caller should pick up where Hartman left off against an overmatched Phoenix squad.
Griffis was used sparingly last season but made the most of his time. The sophomore pivot completed 29 of 41 passes for a sterling 70.7% completion rate, with an equally impressive 5-1 touchdown to interception ratio. He gets the keys to a well-oiled Demon Deacons offense that is returning most of their top playmakers. Granted, A.T. Perry is onto bigger and better things in the NFL, but four of the remaining top five pass catchers will be back. Factor in a stud running back in Justice Ellison, and there should be no stopping Wake Forest again this year.
Elon faces the daunting task of slowing down the Demon Deacons offense, putting them out of their league. Over their last three FBS matchups, the Phoenix have given up at least 42 points each time out. That trend will likely continue, with Griffis leading the charge.
CFB DFS Running Back Picks
Cameron Skattebo (ASU Sun Devils): $5,900 DraftKings
Another relatively unknown player is ready to make his mark, as Cameron Skattebo makes his FBS debut against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Skattebo joins the ASU Sun Devils off a wildly successful 2022 season, ready to transition his elite performances to the Pac-12.
Skattebo exhausted his first two seasons of eligibility at Sacramento State. There, the California native rushed for 1,372 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a perfect season and Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year honors. Combined with his freshman season, Skattebo averages 7.5 yards per carry, finding pay dirt 13 times without a fumble.
Skattebo gets an easy first crack at things against the Thunderbirds. It’s a level of competition that he’s familiar with and dominated in the past. With an enthusiastic crowd at his back, Skattebo should easily reach his fantasy ceiling and end the night as one of the top fantasy performers.
RJ Harvey (UCF Knights): $5,200 DraftKings
Last season, RJ Harvey emerged as a top running back out of the Knights’ backfield. The senior thrived in a shared role, churning out top-tier performances week after week. Now, with Isiah Bowser out of the picture, Harvey should be a more prominent feature as a lead back for UCF.
Harvey has a solid resume. Last year, he totaled 796 yards and five touchdowns on 118 carries, adding 22 catches and 215 yards in the passing game. Harvey will have a more robust role on offense, getting more touches on running plays while also serving as an elite pass-catching back as an outlet for Plumlee.
That ceiling is reflected in our projections, as Harvey has the highest ceiling of any running back available. Moreover, he comes at a discounted rate, with the 12th highest salary. That’s an ideal combination for DFS punters who are looking for maximum value out of the running back position.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper Fantasy has to offer with promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.
CFB DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Jahmal Banks (Wake Forest Demon Deacons): $6,600 DraftKings
One of our favorite strategies in this segment is to stack a top pass-catcher with one of the previously identified quarterbacks. In this case, we’re shining a light on Jahmal Banks, who moves into the top spot on the Demon Deacons wide receiver depth chart.
There will be plenty of balls up for grabs after Perry’s departure. The now New Orleans Saints wide receiver hauled in 81 catches last year for 1,096 yards and 11 scores. Banks was one of the next best on the board, ranking third in receptions and receiving yards while nearly matching Perry with nine scores.
Now is Banks’ time to shine. He’ll get the lion’s share of looks with Perry out of the picture and will build off his successful sophomore campaign. Throughout his career, Banks averages 15.6 yards per reception, but that number should climb higher as the preferred pass catcher in Wake’s offensive scheme.
Luther Burden III (Missouri Tigers): $6,800 DraftKings
The time is now for Luther Burden III. The Missouri Tigers wide receiver finished his freshman season with 375 receiving yards and 45 receptions, ranking third and second on the team, respectively. More impressively, he was a preferred red zone target, leading the way with six touchdown grabs. The Tigers’ receiving corps was depleted this offseason, allowing Burden to cement himself as the top offensive option for Mizzou.
Burden III became a more regular feature on offense towards the end of the last season. Over the final five games of the campaign, the Missouri native totaled 190 yards and four touchdowns on 21 catches. He and junior quarterback Brady Cook can pick up exactly where they left off against FCS foes, the South Dakota Coyotes.
At his price point, Burden is a wide receiver that many people will look past, making him a strong GPP play. Still, he’s worth the investment. The Tigers need every win they can get if they hope to be bowl-eligible after running a gauntlet of SEC opponents over the course of the season. That means the Coyotes could play a different role and be lambs for the slaughter. Burden is priced as one of the best for a reason and is worthy of inclusion on any roster.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Product Update: College Football DFS Projections Now on FantasyLabs
College Football DFS Picks: Week 1 CFB Thursday Night Breakdown (Thu. 9/1)
College Football DFS Picks: Week 4 CFB Saturday Main Slate Breakdown (Sat. 9/24)
College Football DFS Picks: Week 7 CFB Saturday Main Slate Breakdown (Sat. 10/15)
